It’s no secret that just about anywhere you go in the Netherlands is an incredible place to bicycle. And in Groningen, a northern city with a population of 190,000 and a bike mode share of 50 percent, the cycling is as comfortable as in any city on Earth. The sheer number of people riding at any one time will astound you, as will the absence of automobiles in the city center, where cars seem extinct. It is remarkable just how quiet the city is. People go about their business running errands by bike, going to work by bike, and even holding hands by bike.
The story of how they got there is a mix of great transportation policy, location and chance. You’ll learn quite a bit of history in the film, but essentially Groningen decided in the 1970s to enact policies to make it easier to walk and bike, and discourage the use of cars in the city center. By pedestrianizing some streets, building cycle tracks everywhere, and creating a unique transportation circulation pattern that prohibits vehicles from cutting through the city, Groningen actually made the bicycle — in most cases — the fastest and most preferred choice of transportation.
It does feel like bicycle nirvana. When I first got off the train in Groningen, I couldn’t stop smiling at what I saw around me. In an email exchange with my friend Jonathan Maus from Bike Portland, he described it as being «like a fairy tale.» This jibed with my first thought to him — that I had «entered the game Candyland, but for bikes!» In fact, for our teaser I originally titled this Streetfilm «Groningen: The Bicycle World of Your Dreams,» before I talked myself out of it. Although there is a magical quality about being there, in reality there is nothing dreamy or childlike about it. With political will and planning, what they have done should and can be done everywhere.
In our Streetfilm you’ll see the 10,000 (!) bicycle parking spaces at the train station, some of the incredible infrastructure that enables cyclists to make their journeys safer and quicker, and you’ll hear from many residents we encountered who go by bike just about everywhere they travel. But as one of my interview subjects, Professor Ashworth, wanted me to point out: the three days I was there were bright and sunny, and the hardy people keep up the bicycling through the cold winters. As with many bicycling cities, there area also big problems with cycle theft, and residents are always yearning for more bicycle parking.
I think most of us would trade some of those problems for a city with 50 percent mode share (and up to 60 percent in the city
Смотреть в источнике
Реклама:
Реклама:
Реклама:
31 комментарий
Thank you I love this video.I like bike cycle but most peoples in my country don't like it.
this is a highly advanced, well executed and planned city…and the ironic part…there are no fancy cars…expensive expansion bridges..traffic lights….all while reducing death(car accidents), pollution, costs of operation, and improving health!
Germany is NOT the leading nation in europe, not in the way to make towns better for their inhabitants. I am from Hannover. All is still packed with cars, they are standing everywhere, where they shouldnt and their number even is growing! But this is aout of our time! This is what I've learned here. Thanks!
Mimpi apa gue bisa tinggal di situ, ampun deh ketinggian jir. Wisuda aja belom
try to get somewhere like that in houston…
Looks like a happy place to live, very well designed. People first, cars last.
The system in Groningen is great, except in September when the new school year starts and students from outside of Groningen come here. It's nightmarish, trying to avoid the new cyclists who don't know how traffic works over here.
kek look at all of these slow riders. Gosh I can only imagine going that slow where I have to bike. I'm sprinting every single day to keep up with car traffic. It's very dangerous at first, but I have gotten use to going 25mph+ on average on flat roads and I have no problem now. I don't know how i'd react living in a city where everyone biked, there was barely and cars and they all went less than 10 miles. I think I might be a bigger problem than cars in Groningen on my bike because i'm so use to going so fast and having to go so fast to stay alive.
What a polar opposite world I live in.
I wish we Americans could make this work!
Great video. I love cycling. I was under the impression that cycle helmets wern't popular.
Ami me gustaria vivir aki saludos desde Sacramento California USA gracias
Why cant we live like this!!!
Canadians are unfortunately to retarded and backwards thinking for this.
What about snow?
As someone living in this town. Great watch, guys! It's an incredible place to live in.
Awesome awesome awesome. UK is so far behind, it's like the stonage over here along with attitudes.
I sleep with my bike in bed.. naked with only wearing wooden shoes…. typical dutch
Nice video 😀
Sir, can I use this video clip in my video.
0:34 lol irresponsible dad from happy wheels 😀
I do wonder about the very elderly or the disabled/handicapped residents of the city. For me, this city is perfect, but I am a pretty fit and injury-free person. This report would have been good if they dealt with how the lesser mobile citizens and the elderly deal with this type of urban planning. We all get old and have family that may not be as mobile as us.
Great town
Professor Farnsworth! 😀
Hi there, Thanks for adding your video, this is such a nice way to learn about a place. We visit Groningen often, in fact it is our favourite city in the Netherlands!
We are real fans of the Netherlands generally. We make gimbal walk through's of soulful cities on our channel so it's always interesting to see others doing anything similar. Thank you.
i love my town
Thank you for adding your video of one of our favourite cities anywhere. It's characterful streets and houses and the quiet swish of bikes just charm me. I've just added a 4k natural sight and sound walk through of the town too, in appreciation. Perhaps we could subscribe to each other and share more of the same?
I spent nearly 2 weeks in the Netherlands last May. I wanted to visit this city, but I didn’t have enough time. I will next time.
I love Groningen
I'm an avid cyclist in the US and have been for 35+ yrs. averaging cycling ~ 5000km./yr. This Groningen place is an atrocity. It's very discriminatory towards motorists. Must be a total PIA trying to drive and park your car here. I imagine people cycle instead of drive because of the draconian trasportation infrastructure put in place. I can just IMAGINE how high the Vehicle registration fees and car insurance is, not to mention the taxes. This place is WAYYYY too liberal and the progressives have totally overreached.
imagine those 10,000 bikes as cars.. a nightmare
Groningen is also the city with the most beautiful men. Just wanted to expand on what +I dont do birthdays said 🙂